The 77 problem files included an Independence home daycare where investigators spotted a "hack saw...on the kitchen table within reach of the children." The state instructed the owner, Cathy Bullard, to move the saw to a location the children could not access and stay open. Bullard told KCTV5 that since kids always pass through the kitchen with supervision, they were never in any danger.

At The Children's Place, 2 East 59th St. in Kansas City, records show a "four-year-old child was accidentally left on the facility van for approximately five hours" and that "no one realized the child was unaccounted for." Once discovered, the child was taken to the emergency room at Children's Mercy Hospital. The center said it was extremely upset and fired those involved and changed policies.

Staff at Bright Futures Early Childhood Development Center in Higginsville, MO, took their young charges on an outing to the park. State records show a "three-year-old was left at the park." A family friend, not connected to the daycare, discovered the child. The little girl told investigators that the bus went "bye bye."

The state suspended the center's license but, after reopening, it had to report another missing kid. This time, a "four-year-old child was found outside." Investigators said the "staff was unaware the child had left the facility." The center has since closed its doors.

Two little ones keep full-time student and Merriam, KS, mother Abigail Valdez busy. She found the hunt for suitable childcare to be quite stressful.

It took visits to seven different places before she found the right place for her boys.

"Make sure you ask them questions and don't be afraid to," Valdez said.

More than a year ago, Missouri's DHSS launched a website where parents can research child care facilities. But some of the most crucial information, the detailed substantiated complaints obtained by KCTV5, are not posted. A department spokesman says getting those requires a formal records request.